Illuminated canopy for casket illumination



ug. 16, 1932. H, s. HEADLAND ILLUMINATED CANOEY FOR GASKET ILLUMINATIONFiled July '7, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l bis ESQ.) Ei G Y Y Inh?. "l

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H. S. HEADLAND ILLUMINATED CANOPY FOR GASKET ILLUMNATEONI Aug. 16, 1932.

Filed July '7, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 A -Hlrewd'wlNvENToR ATTORNEY Aug.16, 1932.

4|-|. s. HEADLAND ILLUMINATED CANOPY FOR GASKET ILLUMINATION Filed July'7, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 16, 1932 HARVEY S.HEADLAND, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA ILLUMINATED CANOIPY FOR GASKETILLUMINATION y Application filed July 7, 1930. Serial No. 466,207.

This invention relates to a novel illuminated canopy for caskets and hasas one of its objects to provide a novel mea-ns whereby a canopy may bemost effectually draped at :iv one side of a casket the lid of which hasbeen removed or swung to open position and beneath and in rear of whichcanopy electric light bulbs will be arranged so as to illuminate thedeceased and the interior of the lorcasket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for the purposestated which may be readily adjusted as regards its length, so that itmay be readily mounted upon caskets of different sizes.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the canopy supportingframe structure of the device so that Yexpansion and contraction of thestructure may be effected without any manipulation of any mechanicaladjusting means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for mountingthe device upon one side wall of the casket body and which means will beso constructed that its engaging portions will possess suiicientpliability to adapt them to be spaced at various distances apart andbentor flexed to adapt them to engage the inner and outer sides of 30the wall of the casket in a manner to substantially conform to the shapethereof, thereby" avoidin any likelihood of mutilation of the finish othe casket.

This invention also consists in certain other features of constructionand in the combination and arrangement of theseveral parts, to behereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,and specifically 401' pointed out in the appended claims, it beingunderstood of course that minor changes may be made so long as they fallwithin the scope of the claims.

In describing my invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings wherein like characters denote like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure 1is a View in elevation of the frame structure embodying they invention,the canlioj which are expansible and contractible, may 1 be assembled.

Figure 4 is a vertical front to rear sectional view on the line 4 4 ofFigure 2.

Figure 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Figure2. v

Figure 6 i's a perspective view of one of the i supportingbrackets ofthe frame structure. The frame structure preferably consists in acombination of a telescopic frame unit and a lazy tong unit and meansfor so con necting these units that the two may be simul- Y taneouslyexpanded or contracted. The lazy tong unit comprises two side barsindicated in general by the numeral 1 and these bars are preferablyformed with longitudinal slots 2. The lazy tong which constitutes a partof this unit comprises the usual assemblage of a series of intersectinglinks 3 which are connected preferably by hollow pivots 4 at theirpoints or mutual intersection and also the adjacent links of adjacentpairs are connected at their upper ends by hollow or tubular pivots 5,4and lthe lower ends of the links may be connected by solid pivots 6.The upper ends `of the upwardly inclined links' at the ends of theseries of links are pivotally connected as at 7 with the upper endsofthe respective bars 1, and pivots 8 are secured through the lower endsof the downwardly in# clined endmost links of the seriesand slidablethrough the slotsV 2 in the respective arms. Due to this constructionand arrangement of parts, it will be evident that Vthe bars 1 may bebodily adjusted toward and from each otherby an expansion or contractionof the lazy tong unit'.

The telescopic unit is shown in detail in Figure' of the drawings andcomprises two telescopically fitted members indicated ,one by vthenumeral 9, and the otherby the numeral 10. These telescopic sections arepreferably of rectangular tubular form and the outer end of each sectionis bent at rightangles as indicated by the numeral 11 and in order thatthe sections may be readily assembled with the lazy tong unit, smallright angle brackets 12 are mounted upon two of the pivots 6, and thetubular right angle ends 11 of the telescopic unit are adapted tobefitted to these brackets and, due to the pliable nature of the sections9 and 10, an expansion or contraction of the lazy tong'unit willeffeetcorresponding expansion or contraction of the telescopic unit. Thelinvention contemplates a novel form of bracket for supporting thestructure above described, and other parts thereof to be presentlyexplained, at one side of the casket body, and one of these brackets isillustrated in Figure 6 in detail. 'The bracket which is indicated lingeneral by the numeral 13, .comprises two leaves 14 of soft lead, eachof which leaves is provided with a sheath or covering 15 of felt or anyother eXible fabric or similar material found desirable.y The two leavesare arranged in superposed relation as shown in Figure6 and also asshown in Figure 5, and these leaves are preferably united againstrelative separation, Ynear one end of the assemblage but the remainingportions of the leaves may be bent as indicated by the numeral. 16, toany desired arcuate contour to provide spaced gripping portions 17 whichmay be caused' to Iit against the inner and outer sides ofone side walloffthe `casket body vwhen the brackets are arranged in place upon thesaid wall.

Each leaf 14, at its end which is united with the other leaf,\isprovided witha tongue eX- tending at right angles therefrom, and thesetongues are indicated by the numeral 18 and eXtend in oppositedirections from the assemblage 'as 'a wholeand, in assembling thebrackets with the framestructure previously described, the tongues 18are passed through thespaces between `twocompanion or associated pairsof the Vlazy tong links, and as shown in Figure 5 and for a purposewhich will presently be explained, a nipple 19 of soft` rubber is fitted`onto'the downwardly extending one of the tongues 18.r

The numeral 20indicates a canopy whic is draped-over the' framestructureand held in place: thereon by, any suitable means, it being practicableto extendia rod 21 between two linesof stitching 22 in the drapery,which rod may be mounted at its ends upon hooks 23 projectingpoverthe-small plates 24 mounted at the upper ends of the side Ymembers 1,the rod 21 preferably consisting of'two telescopically assembledsections as shown in Figures1and2. s l l' In order that the, remains inthe casket may be suitably andf properly illuminated without the sourceof illumination being visible to those attending the funeral, a numberof brackets 25 are mounted upon certain of the pivots 5 and each bracketsupports an electric light bulb socket 26 in which is fitted a lightbulb 27 and conductor wires 28 are led from the sockets and, as shown inFigures 1 and 2 of the drawings, back and forth through the hollowpivots 4 and throughout the series of links of the lazy tong unit, theseconductor wires 28 being led first to a switch 29 and then to a plugf30which may be inserted in any ordinary house electric socket.

Y lVhat'I claim is l -f i A casket canopy comprising attaching bracketmembers Y each having relatively spaced portionstofit over the upperedge of a casket wall, a longitudinally eXpansible and contractibleframestructure supported by the brackets, and a canopy drapedover theframe member.l l i 2. A casket canopy comprising attaching bracketmembers each `having relatively spaced portions to fit yover the upperedge of the casket wall, a longitudinallyeXpansible and contractibleframe structure sup- 1 ported by the brackets, the frame structurecomprising a lazy tong unit, and a telescopic bow unit-connected at theends of its memberswith the lazy tong unit, and a canopy draped over theunits.

3,' A casket canopy comprising attaching bracket members each havingrelatively spaced portions to itover the upper-edge of a casket wall, allmgitudinally eXpansible and contractible frame structure supported thebrackets, the frame structure comprislng a lazyV tong unit, andatelescopic Jbow unit connected atrthe ends` of itspmembers with thelazy tong unit, the connection between the units comprising tongueseXtend- Y ing forwardly from the'ends of the lazy tong unit, and socketsat the ends of the telescopic unit in which the tongues are tted, and acanopydraped over the units.L

4. A casket canopy comprising attaching bracket members each havingrelatively spaced portions to ftover the edge 'of-,a casket wall, alongitudinally eXpansible and contractible frame structure supportedl bythe brackets, the frame structurecomprising a lazy tong unit, thel lazytong unit comprising upright bars, a series of crossed links pivotallyconnected at their points of intersection and at their relativelyadjacent ends, the upper ends of the upwardly inclined links at the endsof the series of links being pivotally connected to the upper ends ofthe respectiveupright bars and the klower ends of the downwardlyinclined links at the ends of the series of-links being pivotally andslidably connected with the said upright bars,

and a telescopic bow unitV connected at the ends of its members with thelazy tong unit, and a canopy draped over the units.

5. A casket canopy comprising` attaching bracket members each havingrelatively spaced pliable portions to tit over the upper edge of acasket Wall, a longitudinally eX- pansible and contractible framestructure supported by the brackets, and a canopy draped over the framemember.

6. A casket cano-py comprising attaching bracket members each havingrelatively spaced portions to fit over the upper edge of a casket Wall,a longitudinally expansible and contractible frame structure supportedbetween brackets and adapted to carry an illuminating means, the framestructure comprising a lazy tong unit, and a telescopic bow unitconnected at the ends of its members With the lazy tong unit, eachbracket member having o-ppositely extending tongues at one endengageable between the links of the lazy tong unit, and one of thetongues being provided With a cushioning means and a canopy draped overthe units.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HARVEY S. HEADLAN D.

